


Angels in the Architecture

by Darth_Brando



Series: Defenders of Earth [5]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-15 01:13:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2210091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Brando/pseuds/Darth_Brando
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something strange is going on in Tokyo when angel statues start appearing all over. Are these statues following us? Or are we seeing things? Stick around and I'll show you!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Tokyo National Museum**

The security guard nervously brushed his uniform as he entered the museum grounds. It was his first night on the job and he wanted to be presentable.

The guard paused for a moment on the circular path outside Honkon to look at his reflection in the square pond at the center of the path. He tugged at his uniform, trying to make it perfect. Despite his best efforts, it refused to do as he wanted.

He was fiddling with his tie as a hand clamped on his shoulder. He jolted and nearly fell into the pond as he turned. Behind him was a withered old man who looked like he could barely stand. The old man's skin was shriveled and his hair was as white as snow. His eyes, though sunken, seemed to burn with urgency and purpose. His voice came out as a rasping wheeze.

"Go home, please," he begged. "It is not safe here." He was interrupted by a hacking cough that shook his entire body. He continued speaking, his voice even more hoarse. "You must leave this place."

The guard felt uneasy. The old man was clearly insane. "The museum is perfectly safe," the guard insisted. "If you'll excuse me," the guard tried to gently push past the old man, who he now noticed bore a resemblance to his father. He shook it off. In a city of thirteen million people, it was inevitable that  _someone_ would look like his father. "Why don't you get home and get some rest?"

The old man was overcome by another round of hacking coughs. The guard took the opportunity to slip by him. "Please," the old man begged from behind him. "Beware the Angels! Don't let them touch you!"

The guard ignored him as he bounded up the steps and entered Honkon. "Evening," the other guard said as he locked the doors. "You're the new guy, aren't you? Larry, was it?"

Larry nodded. "Yes, sir."

The second guard continued. "I'm Bob, by the way. Welcome to the Honkon. It's an easy enough job. Just wander the museum, don't touch anything and keep an eye out for anything out of place. You've got a radio, so call in if you have any questions. Every building has at least one guard, none of whom will have much to do, so someone will answer. If all else fails, I'll be around if you need me. Tonight, you'll be in Honkon and Heiseikan with me. Oh, one other thing, the custodial staff sticks around until they're done cleaning so don't mind them." The second guard waved the first off in clear dismissal.

Unnerved by Bob's seeming lack of interest, Larry hesitated for a moment. When Bob made no move to leave his position, the guard decided to start on the second floor.

He started his rounds in the "Dawn of Japanese Art" gallery then passed through the "Rise of Buddhism, the Buddhist, Courtly, Zen and Tea Ceremony" exhibits. He lingered in the "Attire of the Military Elite" exhibit, subconsciously straightening his uniform almost constantly, then passed quickly through the folding and sliding door exhibit, to the daily art and the calligraphy galleries.

On a whim, he headed back downstairs where Bob was beginning his rounds. "Why don't you check out the Heiseikan?" he suggested.

Larry nodded. "Yes sir."

Reluctantly, he entered the modern art exhibit, heading for the passage between the two museums. It was a short walk to the passageway. He paused at the entrance as what sounded like breaking glass came from the other end of the tunnel. He pulled out his radio. "I hear something breaking in Heiseikan."

"Stay where you are I hear it too," Bob barked. "I am coming to you now."

In less than a minute, the Bob had arrived.

"Should we call the police?" Larry asked.

Bob shook his head. "Let's make sure it's not just an equipment failure. The police have enough to do without us calling in a false alarm."

The two walked down the passage, the sound of smashing growing louder. They entered Heiseikan and the smashing stopped. They shared a nervous glance. "Let's split up," Bob said. "I'll check upstairs and you look down here."

Larry nodded reluctantly as they parted ways. He gripped his radio tightly, his breath coming out in ragged gasps, his heart slamming into his chest. Cautiously, he poked his head into the Thematic Exhibition Room. Nothing seemed out of place there, so he moved on to the Archaeology Gallery.

His radio crackled as he entered. "Come upstairs. You've got to see this."

"What is it?"

"Come and see."

The radio fell silent and Larry realized the other guards were playing a prank. He sighed in relief as he mounted the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor was silent apart from the hum of the air conditioning. Larry looked around, unsure where he was supposed to go. As if reading his mind, the radio crackled again. "Gallery One."

Larry stepped inside and shone his flashlight around. All around the edges of the room were figures covered by white canvas. Larry nodded, forcing himself to not seem too amused. "Alright, guys. You got me. You can come out now."

Nothing happened. "Fine, I'll play your game," Larry said as he approached the closest figure. He reached up and grabbed the canvas. With a quick tug, he pulled it off the figure.

Larry gasped. The statue that the canvas had covered was exquisite. It was an angel, her face pressed into her hands as if weeping for a lost lover. Her wings were flared out slightly and he could count the individual feathers on the wings. The hair was carefully shaped so that each strand could be seen.

It was so vivid and detailed, he half expected it to move, or to hear the sounds of weeping. The statue remained still and the only sound was the tap of his boots on the floor as he moved.

Something rustled behind him and he turned to face it. The other figures were no longer covered by canvas. All of them were angels of the same detail and quality as the first. Instead of weeping, these ones all had blank stone eyes and expressionless faces turned towards him.

He felt highly uneasy. "This isn't funny, guys!" His voice squeaked.

The hairs on the back of his neck tingled. Slowly he turned. He screamed involuntarily as he fell backwards. The Angel was no longer covering her face, but instead was reaching out for him, its nails extended into claws. Its face was twisted in a snarl and he could see fangs.

His heart pounded violently as he scrambled to his feet. He turned and started to flee the room, but one of the Angels was blocking in entrance.

The guard sobbed in terror. "This isn't funny!"

He screamed as something cold and hard clamped on his shoulder.

The room fell silent, except the clatter of his flashlight hitting the floor. It flickered once then went out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tokyo National Museum**

**8 Months after Galaxia's defeat**

Luna and Artemis both frowned after making another circuit of the entire museum.

"I don't understand, Artemis," Luna admitted. "The computers all picked up several energy fluctuations, almost similar to a Youma attack, but there's nothing here."

Artemis brushed against a flashlight left on the pathway before leaping up on the wall. He perched next to Luna. "That's what bothers me. Nothing seems out of place, but something feels wrong."

"I'm getting it too," Luna admitted.

"You think we should get the scouts?"

Luna considered for a few seconds. "No, let them sleep. Nothing is here. We'll tell them in the morning and have Ami and Charlotte look over it."

"I almost wish the Outer Senshi were around."

"They should be back in a few weeks, when Michiru is done with her tour"

Something crashed behind them. Both turned to watch as two delivery men blamed each other for dropping a box of glassware.

Luna and Artemis turned back to the museum, ignoring the argument behind them.

Artemis perked up. "I don't remember seeing an angel statue out here."

Luna regarded it for a moment. "There are lots of statues around here. I'm not surprised you missed one."

Artemis' tail flicked left and right. "I walked by that area and I don't remember seeing an angel statue. I would remember seeing one that looked like it was crying."

Luna rolled her eyes. "It's nothing," she said dismissively. "You're just imagining things."

"Luna," Artemis said seriously. "I don't remember that statue being there. I walked by that spot and it wasn't there."

"Statues do not move, Artemis!" Luna snapped. "If it did, we would have noticed!"

Artemis scowled, but didn't reply. The two remained silent until the sky turned a faint pink. Luna yawned and stretched. "I'll see you at the arcade. We'll tell the scouts about the fluctuation then."

Luna leapt down from the wall, but Artemis hesitated. He glanced back at the museum, not noticing the angel was no longer covering her eyes. Artemis was still uneasy but, not wanting to be at the museum alone, he leapt down from the wall and walked home.

* * *

**Game Center Crown**

"Come on, come on!" Mina gritted her teeth as she gripped the wheel tighter. Her feet violently mashed the pedals. On screen, the red car responded to her actions and swerved around the blue one.

Mina grinned. "Ha! Eat my dust, Char!"

Next to her, Charlotte remained focused on the screen. "It's not over yet."

Mina urged the red car on faster, grinning wider as she pulled further ahead of Charlotte. There's no way she can catch up now.

Charlotte adjusted her grip then pressed on the pedals with precision. The speakers rumbled as they played the roar of her car's engine. On screen, the blue car leaped forward, gaining speed.

Mina's grin fell from her face as Charlotte's car soared towards hers. She scowled and mashed the pedals, urging her car to go faster. She coaxed a little more speed out of it but Charlotte blazed past her and across the finish line.

"No!" Mina groaned, slumping forward until her head was on the steering wheel. "I was so close!"

Charlotte grinned. "Don't feel too bad. You did well."

"Yeah, yeah," Mina grumbled.

Lita leaned on the back of Mina's chair. "You've gotten better. And Charlotte does have faster reflexes. Either that or she hacked into the game."

Charlotte looked at them both, wide-eyed. "I would never stoop so low," she said, unconvincingly.

"I knew it!" Mina exclaimed. "You couldn't beat me, so you cheated!"

"You never said it was against the rules," Charlotte pointed out.

Mina hit Charlotte with her purse. "You cheated!"

Artemis yowled from inside the purse.

"Sorry, Artemis," Mina said, embarrassed. She pulled Artemis out then swung the purse at Charlotte again.

Charlotte leapt out of her seat. Mina, swinging her purse, chased her around the arcade.

Motoki frowned disapprovingly at them. "You're going to hurt yourselves."

"They'll be fine," Lita assured him. She gestured to the aquarium sitting on the counter. "When did you get the turtle?"

"Oh, this is Kamekichi," Motoki said. "I'm looking after him for a friend over the weekend. He's kind of cute," Motoki smiled at Kamekichi. "Maybe I should get a turtle."

Lita rolled her eyes before Motoki continued. "What are your plans for the weekend?"

"Not much," Lita admitted. "It's been awhile since anyone attacked so we're relaxing while we can."

Motoki put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't ever get to hear it, but thank you for everything. Really. I wish more people knew how much you did. You should at least get some kind of compensation from all the memorabilia."

Lita's heart fluttered as she reached up to place her hand on Motoki's. A small shudder ran through her as their fingers brushed. "Thanks. It means a lot."

Both remained unmoving for several seconds. Charlotte raced by, followed closely by Mina. "Get back here, cheater!" She stopped, and scowled before turning to Motoki. He quickly moved his hand away from Lita's shoulder as Mina spoke. "You should ban Char for cheating!"

Motoki smiled. "No rules against it," he said. "I could ban droids, but it wouldn't do any good. You said Charlotte could change her appearance."

Mina scowled and pointed at Charlotte. "I demand a rematch! And no hacking!"

"You don't stand a chance!"

"I'll destroy you!"

The two returned to the racing game and started it. Lita continued absently tracing her fingers over the counter. "How have you been, Motoki?"

"Busy. Between work and school, I don't have any free time. I honestly don't know how Darien does it. He has school, two jobs and he has to save the world every other night."

"Most youma we can beat in a few minutes. Tracking them down is easy too. The computers and scanners Luna and Artemis set up can pinpoint them and gives us directions on our communicators."

"That's useful. Can you imagine having to hunt through all of Tokyo for them?"

"We'd still find them. Youma have an odd habit of almost literally running into us. Now that I think of it, we have the best luck in the Universe. One of us is almost always around when something happens."

Motoki frowned. "That doesn't seem like a coincidence."

"You're right, it doesn't," Lita nodded.

"Maybe someone is directing you."

"Maybe." Lita wasn't convinced.

Mina's yelling interrupted them. "Eat it Char! I knew I was better than you!"

"I still beat you at the Sailor V game," Charlotte replied.

Mina scowled. "You wouldn't last five seconds as the real Sailor V!"

"I did fairly well against the Sontarans."

"Hmph." Mina crossed her arms.

Charlotte slipped a few coins into the game's slot. "This time, I won't lose."

Mina's scowl slowly morphed into a grin. "Didn't have enough? You're on!"

As they started racing, the doors open. Darien and Serena, carrying Luna, walked in. Motoki waved. "Hey Darien, hey Serena."

Serena smiled warmly. "Hey Motoki, hey Lita!" She spotted Mina and Charlotte racing and walked over to watch.

Darien leaned against the game counter. "Lita," he nodded to her.

"Hi, Darien."

Darien and Motoki started talking and Lita joined the others at the racing game. She turned to the doors as they opened again. Ami and Rei entered and were talking, but Lita couldn't hear what they were saying.

"No!" Mina wailed, slamming her palms on the steering wheel. "How could I lose again?"

Charlotte smiled smugly. "We could go again, just to prove I'm better." 

Mina clenched her firsts and scowled. "You won't know what hit you!"

Luna leapt up onto the back of Charlotte's chair. "You can do this later," she said impatiently. "Last night, we picked up odd energy fluctuations coming from the Tokyo National Museum."

The scouts, Darien and Charlotte listened silently as Artemis picked up. "They came in several bursts, similar to a Youma attack, but different enough that Luna and I decided to investigate. We didn't see anything, but there were definitely some unpleasant vibes coming from the museum."

"We want all of you to check it out and see if you pick anything up," Luna continued.

The others shared grim looks as they followed Luna and Artemis out the door.

"Good luck," Motoki called after them. He looked down at Kamechi as the doors closed behind the scouts. "I know they can handle themselves, but I have a bad feeling about this time."

* * *

**Tokyo National Museum**

Rei froze outside the gates that led into the museum. Her expression was uneasy, almost frightened.

Serena looked worried. "What's wrong?"

Rei shook her head slightly. "It's odd," her voice trembled slightly. "I can feel a presence that's impossibly old and malevolent, but it keeps vanishing and reappearing."

Shouting came from the other side of the gates. Without speaking, they all entered, ready to transform if needed.

A group of five women were shouting at an elderly man in a suit. He held his hands out, palms up as he tried speaking over their yelling. Curious, the scouts crept closer, joining the crowd that was growing.

"Where are our husbands?" One of the women demanded.

"NONE of them came home this morning!" the second added.

The other three added their complaints as the man desperately tried to calm them down. "I'm sure they went out for a drink or something! I assure you, nothing happened while they were here!"

The women continued to yell at him, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of anger and fear.

An old man with silver hair forced his way through the crowd. He stumbled towards one of the women, his gaze fixated on her. Lita shuddered at the desperation in the man's eyes.

"Heloise!" the old man croaked.

One of the women turned to stare at him. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Heloise, it's me," the old man pleaded. "Please."

The woman trembled in fury. "Leave me alone!" she stormed off, after the other women who continued pestering the other man as he made a futile retreat.

"Helo-" the man's face went blank as he clutched his left shoulder. Darien shoved through the crowd as the man teetered.

"Someone call an ambulance," Darien calmly ordered. "He's having a heart attack."

The man fell, but Darien caught him and eased him to the ground. The crowd pressed closer and Lita could only see through a small gap. The man was gripping Darien's shirt and speaking rapidly.

Darien nodded and the man shuddered before going limp. Darien's expression was grim as he gently lowered the man to the ground. Slowly, Darien stood and rejoined the scouts.

Serena hugged him tightly as he stood, looking almost dazed. They remained unmoving for a few minutes before Serena stepped back, looking up at him. An unspoken understanding seemed to pass between them and Serena held Darien's hand, interlocking their fingers.

Darien looked to the others. His voice was softer than usual. "I couldn't make out everything he said, but he did say there was something in the Heiseikan. Whatever it was, he was terrified of it."

Their group left the crowd and entered the Heiseikan. Serena, Darien, Charlotte and Mina checked the first floor while Rei, Ami and Lita headed up to the second.

The first few rooms Lita checked didn't seem out of the ordinary. When she looked into the special exhibits gallery, she gasped.

Rei gripped an ofuda. "What is it?"

Lita slowly stepped into the room. "It's beautiful."

Ami and Rei followed her inside.

The room was filled with statues of angels, all of them covering their eyes in different ways. Lita cautiously brushed her fingers against the exquisitely carved wings of the one closest to the door. She could feel the rachis and every barb on the feathers.

Ami examined another one closely. "Whoever carved these was a master," she said in awe. "The detail is amazing!"

"Nothing was out of place downstairs," Darien's voice came from the door. He looked around at the statues, admiring them.

"Serena, look at this one!" Mina exclaimed as she pushed by Lita.

Serena joined her at an angel that covered its face with its hands. "She looks like she's crying."

"She is," Mina said, clasping her hands together and pretending to cry. "Once, she was in love and was loved in return. But, one day, she realized she loved another man equally. Enraged, the first lover challenged the second to a duel for the woman's affections." Mina flailed her arms around as if fencing. "They fought, long and hard as they were equally matched. At the end, both men were killed, leaving the woman alone."

Mina pretended to cry again. "Unable to go on after both her lovers were killed, the woman wept and, as she wept, her tears turned her to stone, so she would always be a monument of love."

Lita stifled a laugh as Rei rolled her eyes. "How do you know?" Rei demanded.

"Because I'm the Guardian of Love!" Mina proclaimed. "And I know a sad lover when I see one!"

"Ami, Char, are you getting anything?" Luna interrupted.

Ami glanced at her computer and typed in a few commands. "There's a pocket of residual energy, but it's too dissipated to tell what it is."

Charlotte cocked her head. "There are at least five of them, scattered around the museum. But I can't tell what it is or what caused it. Like Ami said, it's too dissipated."

Artemis looked up at Rei. "Are you sensing anything?"

Rei shook her head. "Whatever it was I sensed earlier is gone."

Darien turned away from the statues. "It left?"

Rei shook her head. "It's not that clear. It's like a mirage. It's there, then it isn't."

Artemis frowned. "Could something be interfering with your ability?"

Rei shrugged. "It's possible, but I don't know. Even if something could, why would it project something so malevolent?"

"Hold on," Ami looked up from her computer. "There were five women, claiming their husbands didn't come home, right?"

"So?" Mina asked. "Like that guy said, they probably went out for a drink. I'd probably do that too if I were stuck in a musty museum all night."

Darien looked grim. "I don't think they went out for drinks."

"Oh," Charlotte gasped. "There are five spots with the energy signatures."

"And five guards," Ami added.

The Scouts grasped their transformation sticks while Serena grasped her broach.

"Relax," Darien suggested. "Whatever attacked here probably didn't stick around."

Serena shook her head slightly. "Are you sure? A museum might be a good place for a youma to set up an attack. There are lots of people."

The others stared at her. "Where did that come from?" Mina asked. "You've never thought of anything like that before."

Rei was mildly impressed. "I can't believe I'm saying it, but you have a good point," she grudgingly admitted. "Did you finally start clearing the meatballs out of your brain?"

"I'm impressed," Luna said. "Have you finally decided to take things seriously?"

Serena scowled. "I have plenty of good ideas."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Really? Because this is the first one I've ever heard."

Serena's scowl deepened and she started to reply, but Luna cut her off. "It is possible, yes. But we also have to assume that, if it is a youma, there will be attacks elsewhere. Artemis and Char should stay here to keep an eye on things. Ami and myself will look over the data we collected."

"The rest of you, keep your communicators close," Artemis added. "We'll call if we see anything."

As the others left the room, Lita paused at the doorway as she felt unease creeping up inside her. She looked back into the room. Nothing seemed out of place, so she turned around again and jogged to catch up with her friends.

She didn't see the statues had uncovered their eyes and turned their heads to watch her leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tokyo National Museum; Main Security Office**

Charlotte's fingers flew across the keyboard as she input a series of commands. "This is odd," she admitted. "There is security feed from last night, but it's difficult to get to. Someone tried deleting it but did a poor job."

"You can get it, right?" Artemis asked

Charlotte didn't look up to reply. "Of course, I can. It might take an hour or so. I have to get into the main network and restore it frame by frame before-"

Artemis held up a paw. "I get it," he said.

"Sorry," Charlotte replied. "I don't mean to go on like that."

"It's alright," Artemis said as he turned to the doorway. "I'm going to take another look around the museum."

He slipped out the doorway and ran into Luna.

She scowled at him. "Try to be more careful, Artemis."

"Sorry, Luna," Artemis said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to run into you like that."

Luna sniffed dismissively. "No permanent harm done."

Artemis shook his head, knowing better than to reply. "Char says it'll take about an hour to get the footage. I was going to check the museum again."

"I'll come with you," Luna offered. "Otherwise, you're likely to see a monster in every corner and I'll have to come check it out anyway."

Artemis, grateful for the company, didn't protest. The two of them made a circuit of the Heisikan before taking the passage to the Honkon. They poked around the bottom floor then checked out the second floor.

Both of them entered the room that had the angels and froze.

The room was empty, except for a plaque in the middle of the room.

Artemis slowly approached it and read aloud:

_"As per the request of the generous donor who provided the collection, the angel statues will be moved around the city on a regular basis. We encourage everyone who sees the statues to take pictures or videos so we can collect a montage of how public art influences daily life in Tokyo."_

Luna frowned. "How did they get moved out so fast?" she asked. "I don't remember anyone entering the museum since it closed, and the statues were here when I checked an hour ago."

"It does sound like something the museum would do," Artemis tentatively suggested.

Luna's tail flicked side to side as she considered it. "It's very odd and I don't particularly like it," she said.

"Maybe whoever got them is still around," Artemis replied. He bounded up to the window and looked for a truck or people moving the statues. In the darkness, he could only see one angel statue. Its face was exposed and turned up to look at the window he was sitting by.

"There's an angel statue outside, but it's different than the others." He blinked and the statue was gone. He hissed as his fur fluffed out. "It's gone! I blinked and now it's gone!"

Luna sighed in exasperation. "Artemis, you're seeing things. Statues do not move."

"I know what I saw," Artemis protested.

Luna growled. "Enough of this nonsense, Artemis. You're acting like a kitten. Why don't you go home and get some rest? I imagine you need it."

Artemis grumbled under his breath, but didn't protest.  _Arguing with Luna is like arguing with a rock._

"I'll check on Charlotte while you head home," Luna said.

"I want to check the grounds first," Artemis insisted.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. You're starting to see things and I'm getting worried."

Artemis held back a retort and led the way outside. He and Luna began a circuit of the grounds. They were about halfway through when screams came from nearby. There were two wet 'cracks' and the screaming stopped.

Luna and Artemis charged towards the source. They leapt up to the wall, then down to the sidewalk.

Artemis landed on something soft and warm. He yowled and leapt off, expecting to be attacked. Nothing happened, except for Luna gasping.

Artemis saw what he had landed on and went still. Lying on the sidewalk were a man and a woman. Their expressions were contorted in terror and their heads were twisted at unnatural angles.

Luna's voice trembled. "No human could do this."

Artemis worked up the nerve to look closer. The woman seemed fine, other than the broken neck, but the man had what looked like claw marks on his shoulder. "Luna," Artemis pointed to the marks.

Reluctantly, she looked closer. "Claw marks," she confirmed. "But not from any animal I've seen." She contacted Charlotte.

Charlotte floated over the fence a few minutes later and frowned when she saw the bodies. "This is odd. There's no trace of any genetic materials around the wounds but their own. The claw marks aren't even five minutes old, but there's no trace of anything attacking him. It's like the air cut him."

"Murder?" Luna asked.

Charlotte shook her head. "This wasn't a human."

Luna and Artemis shared a grim look. "Is there anything to go off?" Luna pushed.

Charlotte looked frustrated. "If I were a forensics or research droid, maybe. I can try tapping into the computers at the base."

Her expression went blank for a few seconds. Slowly, she shook her head. "Even connected to Ami's computer and the one at base, I can't get anything."

Luna sighed in weary acceptance and ordered Charlotte to call the police while she and Artemis checked out the nearby alleys and streets for more clues. Neither of them could find anything.

Luna shook her head. "I don't understand. What could possibly have done this and why?"

"I don't know," Artemis said as a police car pulled up, its sirens blazing and lights flashing. "But we know the museum is a hotspot for whatever it is. The Senshi aren't going to like this. They deserve a break, a chance to be normal girls."

"They'll never be normal, Artemis," Luna said, sadly. "Not after everything they've been through."

"I know," Artemis said, his mouth filling with a bitter taste. "But there's no future for them but more fighting. And we have to be the ones to encourage them to keep going, even if it kills them. Kills them more permanently, anyway."

Luna gently nuzzled Artemis. "I know. And I dread the day that comes to pass. But it's their duty to protect this world and ours to provide guidance and encouragement."

Artemis said nothing and instead watched the coroners load the bodies into an ambulance.  _How long,_ he thought.  _How long until that's Mina or Serena or Rei? Ami or Lita? How long can they keep fighting before they fail and we bury them?_

Artemis hunched up and wrapped his tail around himself in misery at the thought. Luna, seeming to sense his mood, settled next to him. They stayed that way, watching over the museum until the sun began to rise.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Aino's house**

Artemis' tail twitched as he looked out the window, thinking about the museum and wondering what was there.  _It has something to do with the statues_ , he thought. _I know it does, even if Luna and the others won't believe me._

"What's wrong, Artemis?" Mina asked, picking him up.

Artemis looked up into Mina's eyes. "It's nothing," he insisted. "Just uneasy."

Mina said nothing as she sat on her bed and scratched Artemis between his ears. He purred contentedly for a moment.

"It's a new enemy, isn't it?" Mina asked.

"I'm afraid so," he reluctantly replied. "And we don't know anything about what it is or how many of them there are. It doesn't leave any traces."

Mina's voice trembled and her eyes displayed her dread. "Cybermen?"

Artemis shook his head and purred until the look of dread in Mina's eyes faded. "We don't know," he said. "Char has been trying to figure it out, but she can't pick anything up, even with Ami's computer and the ones at base."

Mina frowned. "You haven't seen anything odd?"

Artemis hesitated. Mina gently prodded him. "You have something. Spit it out, Artemis."

"Yes, but…" Artemis hesitated again. "Promise you won't tell Luna."

Mina looked haughtily down at him. "You know that I would never divulge the secrets of another. As the guardian of Love, it's my responsibility to help secret lovers! To keep their romance a secret from all who would seek to crush it! Any secret you have is safe with me!"

Artemis rubbed his face with his paw. "With as much time as you spend gossiping on your phone, I doubt anyone has secrets."

Mina picked him up by the scruff of his neck and brought him up to eye-level. "Are you saying that I'm a gossipy liar?" She demanded in a dangerous tone.

"Not at all!" Artemis laughed nervously as he backtracked. "I meant that no one has secrets from you because you're so trustworthy, they tell you everything." He gave her his most winning smile and purred for good measure.

Mina regarded him menacingly for a few seconds before lowering him onto her bed. "Go on," she sniffed dismissively.

"The first night, at the museum, I saw an angel statue," Artemis said slowly.

"That's your big secret?" Mina interrupted. She looked disbelievingly down at him. "Don't tell me you fell in love with a statue. A nun is one thing, but a statue?"

"No!" Artemis protested. "Just let me finish!"

Mina raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue. He settled comfortably on her pillow before speaking. "I saw an angel statue outside, in the museum grounds. But I had patrolled that area and I know it wasn't there. Then, last night, two things happened. All of the angel statues were moved out and we didn't notice. A whole room full of large statues and we didn't see or hear anyone moving anything. It was done in under an hour too. Then, when I checked out the window, I saw another angel statue, looking up at me. I blinked and it was gone."

Mina waggled a finger at him. "Statues don't move, Artemis."

"I know what I saw," Artemis muttered dejectedly.

Mina bounded off her bed and to the closet. "You're just stressed and overworked," she said, digging inside her closet. "I know exactly what you need!"

Artemis looked glumly at her. "Please don't say a shopping trip."

Mina pulled a large, slightly battered purse out of her closet. She picked up Artemis. "We're going shopping!" she announced cheerfully as she crammed him into the purse.

* * *

 

**Juuban Shopping District**

"How about this one?" Mina asked, holding Artemis up. He pawed at the red bow Mina had forced around his middle. She gently batted his paw away.

"It's adorable," Serena announced.

Rei considered more carefully. "I don't know. It needs something else. How about little bells, so Luna can keep track of him?"

"That's a great idea!" Mina declared, snatching up an orange collar with bells on it. She forced it onto Artemis, despite his attempts to keep it off.

The other Senshi approached, each holding accessories to put on Artemis. "I don't like the way you're all looking at me," Artemis said nervously.

"Hold still, Artemis," Mina ordered, adjusting her grip on him. "This is for your own good."

"You really don't need to do this," Artemis insisted, squirming to escape Mina's grip. "I should be with Luna and Char at the museum."

He wriggled free of Mina's grip. He began to bound away, but the Senshi pounced on him before he could escape. He looked pleadingly at Darien as he struggled uselessly. "Help me!"

Darien quickly hid his amusement and looked at Artemis sympathetically. "It'll be over quickly."

Artemis was pulled down by a mass of hands. His body was yanked, twisted and squashed as the Senshi forced accessories on him. They shoved each other and shouted, drowning out Artemis' protests.

Finally they finished and stepped back to admire their handiwork. Artemis saw his reflection in a window and groaned. While the Senshi congratulated themselves on a job well done, Artemis tried not to die of embarrassment.

His ears had matching pink bows at the tips. A blue bonnet was tied around his neck and flared up behind his ears. Also around his neck, and below the bonnet, was a small red collar with a charm hanging from it. Around his middle was tied a large red bow, only slightly smaller than Mina's. His tail had several strands of green ribbon tied around it. Dangling from the end of the ribbons were little rose-shaped buttons.

"You look fabulous!" Mina proclaimed, holding Artemis up.

"I look ridiculous," Artemis muttered.

The Senshi were too busy admiring their handiwork to notice.

"He's a piece of art," Serena said. "We should celebrate our masterpiece with ice cream!"

Rei rolled her eyes. "Is food the only thing you think of?"

Serena scowled at her. "No, Rei, food is not the only thing I think about."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Anything other than food and Darien?"

Serena fumed. "I didn't see you having a good idea yesterday!"

"I've still come up with more than you!" Rei replied.

"Have not!" Serena yelled.

"Have to!"

"Have not!"

"Have TO!"

Lita stepped between them. "Cool it, you two."

Serena smiled innocently. "Ice cream would help."

Mina scooped up Artemis. "We'll meet you there," she said.

She carried him to the register, ignoring his protests. "Shush," she said, hefting him onto her shoulder. "We don't want people to hear you talk."

Artemis glowered at her, but fell silent while Mina paid for the accessories. When she was finished, she carried Artemis out of the store.

"There's something about your statues," Mina said, nodding to a display of TV's.

Artemis twisted in Mina's arms to get a better look. ". . . on the phone with us now are the two generous donors who made it possible for the angel statues to be presented around Tokyo. Why did you request the statues be presented around Tokyo?"

A man's voice replied. "My wife and I both really love art and it inspired us to start carving the angel statues."

"See, Artemis?" Mina chided. "You're making a mountain out of the moon!"

Artemis flicked his ear, but kept his attention on the screen as a woman spoke. "We lent them to the museum on the condition that, after one month on display, the statues be moved around the city. This way, everyone can enjoy and cherish our art."

The man spoke again. "It's our hope that everyone will take as many pictures and videos of our statues as possible. We want everyone to share their photos and videos."

The anchor nodded. "In a few days we'll be airing photos that you send in. Photos can be sent to-"

"It's nothing but art, Artemis," Mina said, carrying him away. "You need to worry less about it. There's a real enemy out there we should be finding."

"But-"

"No 'buts', Artemis," Mina chided. She held him up in front of an angel statue at the entrance of the shopping district. "See? It's just a statue and I don't want to hear any more about them."

She turned and carried him away. Artemis twisted to get a better look at the statue. Its face was uncovered and it was smiling at him. "Mina!" Artemis hissed. "Look at it, it moved!"

Mina clamped her hand over Artemis' mouth. "Not one more word, or I'll tell Luna you're losing it."

Artemis nipped Mina's fingers. She yelped and let go. "Artemis! What was that for?"

Artemis looked defiantly up at Mina. "Do you trust me or not?"

Mina looked confused by Artemis' sudden defiance. "Well… Yes."

"Then you have to believe me," Artemis insisted. "I don't know how or why, but I know I've seen the Angel statues moving and I know I'm not going insane. Something is going on at the museum and I'm convinced it has something to do with those statues, or something that's masquerading as one."

Mina remained silent for a few minutes. Finally, she sighed and picked Artemis up. "I believe you," she said. "But why have only you seen the Angel statues moving?"

"I don't know, but you should turn around," Artemis suggested.

Mina turned and froze. "That's not how it was before." She slowly approached the statue.

Artemis scanned the area for other statues. Mina gripped her transformation wand and blinked.

There was a violent explosion of silver sparks and Mina screamed. Artemis flinched away, closing his eyes as the sparks pattered on his fur. It was, surprisingly, not hot and ended quickly.

He twisted his head back to Mina. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Mina nodded stiffly. "Right before those sparks, the statue changed," her voice trembled slightly. "It had fangs and claws and it was reaching out for me. Then all of those silver sparks came from nowhere and I couldn't see. Now it's gone."

Artemis looked grim. "At least we know what we're looking for," he looked up at Mina. "Let's get the others."

She nodded and scooped him up. He settled comfortably in her arms as she ran to find the others.


	5. Chapter 5

**Fruit Parlor Crown**

"A statue?" Serena mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream.

"It's not a statue," Mina insisted. "It only looks like one. It grabbed me, but there was a storm of sparks and it vanished."

"You didn't attack it?" Lita asked.

Mina shook her head. "I didn't have time to transform," she said. "It went all fang-y," she screwed up her face in a likeness of the angel's face and held her pointer fingers in front of her teeth like fangs. "It grabbed me, then there was a burst of sparks and it was gone."

Serena stirred her hot chocolate as she thought. "When was this?"

Mina shrugged. "Maybe ten, fifteen minutes ago."

Serena brushed her fingers against her broach. "I thought I felt the Ginzouishou activating about the same time."

Lita leaned forward. "I thought you had to focus for it to work?"

Darien put down his cup of tea. "We don't fully understand the Ginzouishou or what it can do. It wouldn't be wise to assume it can or can't do something we haven't seen before."

Ami looked out the window for a few seconds. "Assuming it did activate, and the silver sparks were related, why did it work when the statue attacked Mina?" She looked at the others. "It's never protected us from an enemy's attack before. What's so special about this one?"

"One of the outers might know," Lita replied. "They're getting back in a week or so, right?"

"Even when they get back, they might not tell us," Rei said. "We have to assume we're on our own for this."

Serena finished off her hot chocolate and put the glass down. "Maybe it was destroyed when it attacked Mina and we don't have to look for it."

Rei rolled her eyes. "You're such a chicken, Serena. We should call you Sailor Omelet."

Serena stuck out her tongue at Rei. Rei did the same and the two glared at each other.

Artemis placed his front paws on the table. "I don't know where it went, but I know it's somewhere out there," he said.

Rei crossed her arms and looked away from Serena. "How do we find it? If the statues were moved, I doubt it's staying at the museum. And someone would notice there was an extra. There has to be someone behind it.'

Ami nodded thoughtfully. "It would make sense. Someone had to make them and coordinate moving them around. It's not something that would just happen. I don't think it's a coincidence."

"How do we find it?" Lita asked. "Artemis said the statues are being moved all over the city. It could be anywhere."

"I'm not sure how we'd find it," Ami admitted. "The city is way too big for us to look and hope we find them. I'll see if the museum has a schedule of where they're going to be. In the meantime, keep your communicators close and keep an eye out for statues."

"There's a park nearby that seems like somewhere they'd put an angel statue," Serena said thoughtfully. "Darien and I will check it out before it gets dark."

Rei rolled her eyes. "The only thing you'll be checking out is Darien."

Serena scowled at her. "I'll look for statues too," she muttered.

"Call me if anything comes up," Lita said. "I've got some homework to finish. And I'm sure you do too, Serena."

"Well…" Serena hesitated. "Maybe a little."

"Serena," Mina interjected. "If I didn't get it done, I know you didn't."

"Go home and get it done," Darien suggested. "We can check the park tomorrow."

"Luna, Char and I will be at the museum or the base," Artemis said, leaping onto the table. "We'll let you know if anything happens."

Rei stood, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "I'll see if I can get anything from the fire," she said.

Mina slid out of the booth after Rei. "Come on, Serena, let's get that homework done," she said.

Serena propped her head on her left hand and sighed. "Do I have to?"

"You really need to take school more seriously, Serena," Ami said, putting her books and computer in her purse. "We only have two years of high school left and if you want to get into college, you need to focus and do better."

Serena sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow, Darien." Serena gave him a quick hug before following Mina towards the exit.

Lita, Ami and Artemis bid Rei and Darien 'goodnight' before leaving. Rei began to follow, but hesitated. She turned back. "Darien?"

He looked up at her as he pulled out his laptop. "What's up, Rei?"

Rei slowly sat back down. "I'm worried about Serena," she admitted. "I know she's a slacker and hates school, but she listens to you more than any of us."

"I do try, but even I have trouble convincing her of anything where school is involved," Darien admitted.

"I know," Rei replied. "But I want her to do well so she doesn't end up disappointed with her life. Crystal Tokyo won't be around for a long time, but she acts like she doesn't need to do anything until she becomes Queen. I just want to make sure she'll be happy before that point and she won't be if she keeps acting the way she does about school."

Darien nodded thoughtfully. "I've done as best as I can," he mused. "So maybe it's time to try a new strategy. Don't worry, Rei. I'll see what I can do."

Rei nodded and stood. "Thanks, Darien," she said. "And please don't tell Serena. I'll never hear the end of it."

Darien smiled. "Not a word," he promised.

Rei turned and walked to the exit, leaving Darien alone with his thoughts.

* * *

**Hikawa Shrine**

Slivers of silver light from the full moon shone through the small openings in the shrine's door. Illuminated by the moonlight and the warm glow of the sacred fire, Rei knelt, focusing herself. She let her mind empty and her body relax as she gazed into the flames.

As she begin to slip into a trance, she sensed the same ancient and malevolent presence she had sensed at the museum. It was close. She leapt to her feet, preparing an ofuda in one hand while grasping her transformation wand with the other.

Slowly, she stepped outside. The presence vanished and nothing seemed out of place. She glanced to the tree where Phoebes and Deimos were roosting, but neither seemed upset. Both cawed sleepily at her as they bedded down for the night.

Rei looked around and noticed the angel statues standing at both sides of the shrine's entrance. Both had opposite hands stretched out as if asking for an offering. The angels' faces were covered by the elbow of the opposite arm.

Slowly she approached them. I don't remember them being here when I got home, she thought.

Rei rubbed her forehead. "Grandpa?" she called out.

Grandpa trundled out of his room, squinting at Rei. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I didn't do it. Chad and I have been busy all day." His guilty expression told her otherwise.

Rei scowled. "Where did you get these statues?" She gestured to the two angel statues.

"Someone from the museum called and asked if we were willing to put up a matching pair for a few days. They'll bring in more people and more people means more customers and more customers means more money! So, of course, I said yes."

Rei frowned at him. "What do you look so guilty about then?"

"I take you in and raise you and I get an interrogation for my troubles?"

Rei crossed her arms and glared down at him. "Grandpa, what did you do?"

Grandpa shrank back from her glare. "I may have given the museum some encouragement to move them here."

Rei continued glaring at him until he cracked. "I donated some money, okay?"

"How much?" Rei demanded.

"It's the thought that counts, not the money," Grandpa replied.

"How much?!" Rei shouted.

Grandpa flinched back. "Ten thousand yen!"

"Grandpa, you know that's a lot of money for us!" Rei snapped. "How could you be so irresponsible?"

"I'm supporting the fine arts!" Grandpa insisted. "Besides, these beauties will bring in even more money! They'll more than pay for themselves!" He slowly began to back away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some duties to attend to before bed." He sped off before Rei could stop him.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. She didn't notice the angel statues had both lowered their arms and were watching her. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she turned. Both statues were exactly how they had been the first time she saw them.

Slowly, she approached them. Neither of them moved. She blinked. Then she screamed.

Both statues' faces were contorted in a snarl, fangs bared. Their hands, tipped in claws, were reaching out for her.

She grabbed her transformation wand. "Mars Crystal Power, MAKE UP!"

She was engulfed in flames for a second. They faded and Sailor Mars prepared herself to attack.

The statues had moved, but their faces were calmer. Both of them smiled almost knowingly at her.

"I'm Sailor Mars," she announced, feeling unnerved by the look on their faces. "You've hurt innocent people, and I won't let that pass! In the name of Mars, I shall punish you!"

She sent off a bombardment of flaming attacks that singed the leaves on the trees around her. The statues remained unmoving and seemingly unaffected by the attacks.

She blinked again and the statues were gone. She spun around, searching for them. Her communicator pinged and she answered, still looking for the statues.

"Rei?" Ami's asked. "Are you alright? We just picked up a huge energy spike from the shrine."

Mars explained what happened.

"Get to the base," Luna ordered. "The others are on their way."

Mars picked up the tone of worry in Luna's voice. "What's going on?"

Charlotte replied. "There are energy spikes all over the city. Either they can move really, really fast or there's more than the two you saw."

Mars grimaced. "I'm on my way."


	6. Chapter 6

**Game Center Crown:**

**Secret Base**

The Senshi and Tuxedo Mask crowded around the monitors as Charlotte, Luna and Artemis glanced over the readouts.

Luna pressed a button and pulled up a map of Tokyo with clusters of blinking dots scattered across the city. "It doesn't look good," she said grimly. "Based on what Ami found about the statue's locations, all of them are attacking people."

"They're moving," Artemis added. "They seem to be converging."

Tuxedo Mask leaned forward. "Do we know where?"

Charlotte typed in a few commands. "If the information is accurate, they're converging on a T.V. station."

Jupiter slammed her fist into her open palm. "What are they doing to people?"

Luna hesitated. "The readings are very similar to the ones we get when Chibiusa comes from the future," she said slowly. "If I had to guess, I'd say they're sending people through time."

"That's impossible!" Mars insisted. "The only way to travel through time is to use the Space-Time Door!"

Charlotte turned to look back at the Senshi. "There are plenty of ways to time travel," she said. "Vortex Manipulators and wormholes, for example. These readings are very similar to wormholes, but none of them act like this."

"Impossible or not, people are in danger," Sailor Moon interrupted. "We need to go, now."

Charlotte stood. "I'll show you the way," she said. "Ami, keep your computer on."

Mercury nodded and activated her computer.

"One second," Jupiter interjected. "If they're sending people through time, how are we supposed to get back if we get attacked?"

Mercury frowned. "Mina, Rei?" she said. "You both said there was an explosion of silver sparks when the statues tried touching you, right?"

They both nodded and Mercury turned to Sailor Moon. "And you felt like the Ginzouishou was activating at about the same time?"

Sailor Moon nodded. "Where are you going with this, Ami?"

"I don't know how or why," she explained. "But I think that, somehow, the Ginzouishou is protecting us. I don't think we need to worry about being sent through time. But, we should still be careful, because I don't know what else they're capable of."

The others nodded. "Let's go," Sailor Moon said.

"This way," Charlotte replied. She flew up the stairs and out of the arcade. The Senshi ran after her.

* * *

**Minato Ward**

**T.V. Tokyo Corporation Headquarters**

"This is the place," Charlotte said. "The last group of energy spikes happened here."

The Senshi slowly approached the doors. When they were close enough, Tuxedo Mask reached out and pulled one open.

Carefully, they entered. It was well-lit inside, and a fountain gurgled at the center of the foyer. Tuxedo Mask entered last.

The door slammed shut behind him. He pushed, but the door remained shut.

Rei scowled and hit the door with a variety of attacks. None of them seemed to have any effect and the door was cold, despite the flames that had licked it. "I'm getting really tired of traps," she grumbled. "I thought we would eventually get smart enough to not fall for them every time. Serena and Mina, maybe. But the rest of us should know better by now."

Sailor Moon and Venus scowled at her. "You've fallen into plenty of traps, Rei," Serena grumbled.

Mercury ignored their arguing as she examined the door. "It seems like it's sealed," she said. "But I don't know how or with what."

"Deadlocked," Charlotte said. "No force in the Universe can open that door until the deadlock gets removed. It's not infallible though. We could blow a hole in the wall or the roof and get out that way. Probably. Some deadlocks can seal entire buildings, but they can't last long."

"How long?" Jupiter asked.

Charlotte shrugged. "Based on the size of the building, an hour, maybe two," she answered.

Mercury scanned the building. "I'm not picking anything - woah," she said. "There's a massive electric surge that's spreading across the city! It's turning on every television and computer monitor!"

A bank of TVs along the wall switched on. Each of them displayed the same thing; an angel statue. A man's voice boomed from the speakers. "The Weeping Angels want to extend their gratitude for your presence," he said.

"I know that voice!" Venus said. "You were the one they interviewed! You're behind this! Who are you?"

"I'm Yutori and he's Seiryo and, yes, we were interviewed," a woman replied. "But we aren't helping them willingly."

"Tell us where you are and we'll help you!" Sailor Moon said.

"We're grateful, but it's impossible," Seiryo replied. "It's difficult to explain, but we're both dead. They killed me and my fiancé, then they trapped our consciousness. It's the only way they can communicate with non-Angels."

The Senshi stood in stunned silence for a moment. "You're dead?" Mars asked slowly.

"The Angels say it was necessary," Yutori answered. "Otherwise they wouldn't be able to communicate with you."

Venus stepped towards the monitors, her fists clenched. "What about all the other people who have been attacked?" she demanded.

"It's difficult for me to translate," Seiryo said. "They don't use words. It's images, impressions and feelings instead so it's hard to put it in terms you understand, but they said no one else was harmed. I think, if I'm understanding correctly, the Weeping Angels send people into the past. The people they choose get to live out the rest of their lives and the Angels consume all the days that might have been."

"They want you to know that the sacrifices were necessary," Yutori added.

Tuxedo Mask glared at the TV screens. "Sacrificing people for your own selfish ends is wrong and we won't let it stand," he said.

"What could possibly justify ripping people away from their loved ones?" Sailor Moon demanded.

Neither voice responded for a moment. "They're scared," Seiryo finally said.

"Terrified would be more apt," Yutori corrected.

"They should be," Jupiter growled.

"Not of you," Seiryo replied. "They brought you here because they need you to sacrifice yourselves for the good of the all creation."

The Senshi shook their heads. "Not going to happen," Venus snapped.

"We don't help monsters like you," Mars added.

"We won't let this stand," Jupiter said.

Sailor Moon shook her head again. "Return the people you took," she said defiantly. "Or, in the name of the moon, we shall punish you!"

The station was filled with a high-pitched shrieking that rose and fell rapidly.

"They're laughing," Yutori said. "They say they have existed since before the dawn of the Universe and they will last beyond the death of the last star. Their power is far beyond your capability to match."

Jupiter cracked her knuckles menacingly. "If they're so tough, what are they afraid of?"

There was another pause before Seiryo replied. "The last daughter of the forgotten planet. The being whose ancestors caused the Old Ones to flee the Universe. She is the last Fendhal, the Devourer of Worlds. If she regains her power, she will sweep across all creation, and devour every planet and every star until nothing is left but perpetual darkness. Then she will travel on, breaking free of our Universe to prey on the next. Then the next and so on forever until nothing is left but the endless darkness."

"They say she is here on earth, but is still weak and vulnerable," Yutori added. "Once you sacrifice yourselves, the Angels can use the immense power of your potential futures to destroy her before she regains her strength."

Mars crossed her arms and scowled. "We would have noticed something like that," she snapped.

"She can disguise herself," Yutori replied. "Not only physically, but mentally as well."

"Why did you turn on all the televisions in Tokyo?" Mercury asked.

"They know she's in this city, but she's well-hidden," Seiryo admitted. "So they plan to broadcast an image of themselves to every television in Tokyo."

Tuxedo Mask crossed his arms. "Even if we believe you, which we don't, how would broadcasting your image to every television find her?"

"It won't," Yutori said. "That which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel. They will create billions of themselves across the entire borrow a bit of terminology, it's like a 'carpet bombing'. Everyone in the city must die to ensure the destruction of the Devourer."

Venus clenched her fists. "We won't let you do that!"

"It is the only way," Seiryo replied. "If she is not stopped here, not only will this Universe be endangered, but all the ones beyond. All life in all Universes is threatened and we can only stop her if you sacrifice yourselves. The Angels need the immense power of your futures if they want to have a chance of stopping the World Eater"

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Yutori added. "The Angels promise they'll put you all in the same time and place."

Jupiter, fists clenched, stepped towards the television. "We won't let this stand," she growled. "The Angels are going to pay for what they've done!"

"We're truly sorry," Seiryo replied. "They say if you won't surrender yourselves, they will take your futures by force."

The lights went out, plunging the lobby into darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

**Game Center Crown: Secret Base**

Artemis flinched back as sparks exploded from the console. Choking smoke filled the base, forcing Luna and Artemis to retreat towards the entrance.

"Artemis, what did you do?" Luna demanded.

Artemis coughed as the thick smoke invaded his lungs. "I didn't do anything!" he choked. "It was some kind of power surge. Come on, we've got to do something about this smoke. Otherwise, we'll suffocate."

Luna flinched away from a sparking computer. "There's a fan switch to draw out smoke, but I'm not sure where it is."

Both cats charged into the smoke and leapt onto the console. Artemis felt for a switch, since the smoke was too thick to see through. There were only buttons. He began to cough violently and his lungs felt like they were being cooked. His eyes stung and he felt woozy.

"Luna, we have to get out of here!" he tried to say. All that came out was a gasping wheeze. He forced himself to swallow. "Luna?" he croaked.

There was no response and he went cold with fear. "Luna!" He choked out.

He bounded towards where he thought she was. But his limbs felt weak and rubbery and gave out. His body bumped into something and flipped it.

There was a roar as the fans activated, sucking up the plumes of smoke. The room visibly cleared and Artemis spotted Luna slumped against a monitor. Desperately, he tried to lift her, but he was too weak.

Panting, he tried activating the communicator, but the system was dead. Still dizzy, but feeling a little better without as much smoke, Artemis staggered towards the entrance, hoping Motoki was still around.

The Sailor V games above the entrance parted and Artemis stumbled out of the opening. "Motoki!" he choked out. He coughed violently and crumpled to the floor. His vision wavered like an illusion. He was aware of a flying sensation as everything went dark.  _Is this death?_  He thought before slipping away.

*     *     *     *     *

"Artemis?"

Artemis' vision slowly came into focus. Above him loomed a worried looking Motoki. "Luna?" Artemis mumbled.

"She's alright," Motoki said. "She's resting, but she'll be okay. What happened?"

Artemis coughed and Motoki offered him a bowl of water. Artemis drank gratefully. Feeling better, he answered; "I'm not sure. Some kind of power surge hit the base. How long have I been out?"

Motoki refilled the bowl. "Not long. Ten, maybe fifteen minutes. That power surge you mentioned, it did something to all the screens." He gestured around the arcade.

Artemis looked. Every screen showed different pictures or video clips of angel statues. Artemis frowned. "This is odd," he said.

"Is it some kind of prank?" Motoki asked.

"I don't think so," Artemis replied. He turned back to Motoki. "I have a bad feeling about this. I don't know what's going on and we lost contact with the girls. Can you watch Luna? I can't do any good here."

Motoki nodded. "Be careful," he replied.

Artemis nodded back to Motoki before leaping off the counter and bounding out the doors.

As he ran through the city, he became more worried. Every screen he saw showed a different picture or video of one of the statues. He forced himself to run faster.

Finally, he reached the TV Tokyo Corporation Headquarters. He pushed on the door, but it refused to open. Grumbling in frustration, he paced around the building, hoping to find an open window or another entrance.

There was no other way in. As he was returning to the main entrance, he caught movement from the corner of his eye and turned to look.

Another cat, grey with what looked like a black star on its forehead, was perched in a nearby tree, watching the station with unnatural intensity.

Artemis slowly approached it, creeping through the bushes and trying to stay silent. His paw came down on a twig and snapped it. He froze as the other cat's head turned to where he was. Its purple eyes seemed to glow and Artemis felt unnerved by them. They were far too intense and intelligent for any normal cat.

The other cat watched the bushes for a few more seconds. It hissed and, faster than he could process, morphed into a large raven. It flared its wings and leapt away from the tree, soaring into the night.

Artemis began to follow it, but stopped as colorful bursts of light came from inside the station. He turned back and ran to the doors. He couldn't see inside, but from the flashes of light, he knew the Senshi were fighting something.

* * *

**TV Tokyo Corporation Headquarters:**

**Main Lobby**

Charlotte glowed brightly enough to illuminate a small area around the Senshi. "See?" she said smugly. "Not a problem."

Her image wavered and her expression became grim. "I spoke too soon. There may be a small problem," she said. "Something is draining my power."

Jupiter frowned at Charlotte. "How long can you last?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Five, maybe ten minutes."

Mars tried to keep her voice calm, but it still trembled. "It can wait. They're here."

The others strained to see outside the sphere of light around them. The sound of massive flapping wings and the scuttle of something large moving came from the darkness.

Jupiter stepped towards the edge of the circle. "We're not going to play your games!" She launched a Sparkling Wide Pressure into the darkness. The attack exploded against the reception desk, reducing it to dust. "Oops," she said, looking mortified.

Mercury typed commands into her computer as quickly as she could while scanning the area. "I can't pick anything up!" she said. "I don't know how many, or where, they are!"

Mars launched several attacks into the darkness. "I don't either," she said grimly. "But I can sense them."

Charlotte turned her head left and right, frowning. "I can't get any–" Her form wavered and vanished, along with the light she was producing. Her true form, the spherical droid, hit the ground, clanging loudly.

Mars blasted out with massive gouts of flame that lit up the lobby. "Someone think of something," she growled. "I can't keep this up forever."

Sailor Moon brushed her hand against the nearby wall. "I can't find a switch!"

The lights came on.

With the room illuminated, the Senshi could see what had been moving in the dark. Around them in a semi-circle were ten Weeping Angels. Their faces were contorted in anger and their mouths were open, revealing fangs. From their fingertips sprouted claws.

The Senshi looked around at the unmoving Angels. "I can't sense them anymore," Mars said, warily.

"Why aren't they moving?" Tuxedo Mask mused.

"It doesn't matter," Mars replied. "I'm taking them down!" She rained attacks on one of them until it was reduced to dust.

Venus turned and blasted another into rubble. "They're not so tough now," she said triumphantly.

The others launched an attack on the Angels, bombarding them with every attack they had. They didn't stop until nothing was left but dust.

"That was easy," Sailor Moon said, sighing in relief. "They're really not that scary."

The lights went out then came back on. Sailor Moon screamed and stumbled away from the clawed hand that was inches from her face. She tripped over Charlotte and landed on her back.

The others looked around in horror. The Weeping Angels had all reformed and showed no evidence they had been harmed.

The lights flickered and the Senshi packed closer together. The lights went out then came back on.

The Angels were closer. The Senshi and Tuxedo Mask bombarded the Angels, reducing them to dust again and again. But, every time the lights went out and came back, they had reformed.

"Ami, we need a solution!" Jupiter yelled, sending off a Flower Hurricane. The petals ripped into the statues, leaving deep cuts.

Mercury looked grim. "I need a minute," she replied as calmly as she could.

Venus lashed out at the Angels with her whip. "We may not have a minute," she said grimly.

Ami shut her eyes and focused on the problem. "What do we know about them?" she asked.

"No matter how many times we smash them, they keep reforming," Jupiter growled.

"They only move occasionally," Venus added.

Mercury considered the problem logically.  _They only occasionally move, but not together. Why? Maybe it's not them… what are we doing?_

"Rei, can you sense them?" Mercury asked.

Mars shook her head. "Not right–" the lights went out and came back on. Mars looked slightly puzzled. "I can sense them, but only for a moment."

"It's the light!" Mercury concluded. "They only move when the lights are out!"

The lights went out and came on again. Venus gritted her teeth. "How does that help us?" she demanded.

"If they can move in the dark, they may be vulnerable," Mercury replied. "But it'll be hard to hit them. We need to spread our attacks out. Make a semi-circle."

The others nodded and arranged themselves. "As soon as the lights go off," Mercury said, preparing to attack. The lights remained on for longer than they had before.

Mercury still watched the two angels on her side intently.

She blinked. Her eyes opened and the Angels were closer.

Mercury gasped. Rei turned to look at her. "What's wrong?" she asked. She turned her attention back to her Angels and stiffened.

Mercury's voice trembled. "I was wrong. It's not the lights. I don't know what to do."


	8. Chapter 8

**The Tsukinos' House**

"Come on, get 'em!" Shingo yelled at the TV. On screen, two monsters, one a giant rat and the other a large squid-like creature, circled each other, trampling cars underfoot. The squid-like one charged the rat.

As the squid's tentacles wrapped around the rat, the T.V. screen flickered and went out. Shingo sighed in exasperation before it turned back on. The image was of an angel statue in a park somewhere. Shingo frowned.

He mashed the channel button on the remote. The image didn't change.

He sighed before yelling into the kitchen. "Mom! The remote is out of batteries!"

"There are some in your father's desk!" Mrs. Tsukino yelled back.

Shingo grumbled in irritation before standing. He walked into his father's office and dug around in the desk for batteries. Once he found them, he swapped them with the ones in the remote. He tried changing the channel again.

Nothing happened.

Irked, Shingo walked over to the T.V. and pressed the button to change the channel.

The image remained. He turned back to the kitchen. "Mom, the TV broke!" he yelled. "It won't change channels!"

Ikuko entered the room. She joined Shingo at the T.V. and tried to change the channel. The image of the angel remained.

She frowned and adjusted the volume. "The volume works, so the channel buttons must be broken," she concluded, returning to the entryway. "Turn it off and have your father take a look when he gets home."

Shingo pressed the power button. The T.V. went dark then came back on. He frowned and pressed it again. As before, the T.V. went dark and came back on.

Something about the image bothered him. He stared at it until he realized what it was.

The statue on the screen had moved. He shrugged and moved behind the T.V. He grabbed the power cable and pulled.

It didn't budge.

Shingo grumbled and pulled harder, but the cable remained fixed into the wall, as if glued. He frowned then pulled again. His muscles strained from the effort, but the cable remained stuck in the outlet. "Mom!" he yelled. "The power button is broken and the power cable is stuck!"

Ikuko returned to the living room. She froze, staring at the screen. "Shingo," she said hoarsely.

Her tone made Shingo uneasy. Slowly he edged towards her. "What is it?" he asked.

In response, she pointed at the screen. Shingo turned and gasped.

Reaching out of the screen was the top half of an angel.

Shingo grinned. "Cool! I don't remember it having the Three-D feature!"

"It doesn't," his mother replied grimly. "And there have been too many things attacking this city for me to be comfortable with it."

The lights flickered and went out. When they came back on, the Angel was outside of the TV.

Ikuko pulled Shingo behind her. "Get upstairs," she said, her voice straining from fear. Shingo obediently headed up the stairs, Ikuko close behind.

In the living room, the image of the Angel's head was turned to watch them leave.

* * *

**Game Center Crown**

Luna groaned and struggled to stand.

"Easy," Motoki said, putting a hand on her side. "You breathed in a lot of smoke."

"Where's Artemis?" Luna croaked. Motoki placed a bowl of water in front of her. She drank deeply as Motoki replied.

"He went to find the Senshi," he said. "There was a weird power surge and now all the screens are showing these angel statues," he gestured to the plethora of screens in the arcade. Each one had a different image of an Angel.

Luna frowned. "That's very odd. Is it some kind of joke?"

Motoki shrugged. "I don't know."

The lights flickered and went out. They came back on. Motoki frowned at the nearby racing game. "Did the image change?" he asked. "It looks different somehow."

Luna examined the screen closely. "I don't know," she admitted. "I wasn't paying much attention to this one."

The power went out and came back on again. Luna leapt back, hissing. Motoki swallowed nervously. "I really hope this is a nightmare," he squeaked.

From each screen, various parts of Angels, arms, heads, hands or torsos, were reaching out. Instead of stone grey, most of them were a lighter, almost see-through grey. One, in the corner, was in 8-bit pixels.

The lights went out. Motoki grabbed a flashlight from under the counter and turned it on. The Angels were mostly out of the screens and standing in the aisles between games.

"Luna, what do we do?" Motoki asked nervously.

Luna's head swiveled back and forth as she regarded the Angels. "Is there another exit?"

"Yeah," Motoki said, edging towards the back. He scooped up Luna and placed her on his shoulder.

He pushed on the door to the back. It didn't budge.

He pushed harder. "It's not opening," he said nervously.

"Try the key," Luna chided.

Motoki shook his head. "It doesn't have a lock."

"Try the front door," Luna suggested.

Motoki nodded and, carefully, made his way towards the front. "Why aren't they moving?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Luna replied. She shivered at the amused expression on the faces of the Angels.

Motoki pushed on the front doors. They remained firmly closed. He tried pulling them open with all his strength. Finally, he gave up. "It's useless," he puffed. "They won't open."

"Let's get into the base," Luna suggested.

Motoki turned and yelled in fright. A hand was three centimeters from his face. He breathed heavily and Luna could feel Motoki's heart slamming violently against his chest. He remained frozen in fear.

Luna dug her claws into his shoulder and he yelped. "Move," she ordered curtly.

Motoki turned and ran towards the Sailor V games. The entrance was still open, so he charged down the stairs.

Luna leapt off his shoulder and pressed a button next to the entrance. The Sailor V games rumbled as they slid together, closing the entrance.

"How long do we have?" Motoki asked.

Luna shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "Without power, the entrance can only survive a superficial attack."

Something heavy crashed against the ground, followed by the crash of shattering glass. Motoki groaned. "They're breaking games," he almost cried.

"Be thankful they aren't breaking you," Luna replied. She leapt onto the console and tried activating it. The lights and screens remained dark.

Motoki glanced at her. "There is another way out of here, right?"

Luna looked at him grimly. "No. When the angels get in, we have nowhere to go. And communications are down. Whatever happens, we're on our own."


	9. Chapter 9

**TV Tokyo Corporation Headquarters**

Mercury placed her hands on the sides of her head, but kept her attention on the Angels. "I need more time to think."

Mars gritted her teeth and launched a Burning Mandella into the Weeping Angels. The flaming discs exploded uselessly against them. "We don't have more time," she growled.

"Ami, is there a room in here we could barricade ourselves in?" Tuxedo Mask asked. "It won't buy us much time, but it might be enough."

Mercury typed a few commands into her computer. "There are a few studios deeper in," she said. "They can all be locked from the inside."

"We'll be trapped," Jupiter growled.

"We're already trapped," Tuxedo Mask pointed out. "Barricading ourselves in one of the studios will give us extra time."

"We don't have any more time," Sailor Moon replied. "They said people outside the studio are being attacked. We have to do something about it!"

"They also said they needed us to sacrifice ourselves," Venus replied. "I think they need us before they can do anything. Even if I'm wrong, we can't fight them."

Sailor Moon grimaced. "There has to be something we can do," she said softly.

Mercury turned to her. "We can buy ourselves more time."

The Senshi slowly edged away from the Angels and towards the far end of the lobby. As they moved, Jupiter picked up Charlotte's limp form. She grunted. "She's heavier than you, Serena."

Sailor Moon scowled at Jupiter. "I'm not that heavy," she muttered.

Mercury reached the far end of the lobby first. She pulled open the doors and the Senshi backed through them. "This way," Mercury said.

They got to the end of the hallway when crashing came from behind them. They turned as the doors were ripped off their hinges and soared halfway down the hallway. In the opening, an Angel's fist was extended.

Mercury regarded it, frowning. "Rei? Did you sense them before the door broke down?"

Mars nodded. "Yes."

"When, exactly?" Mercury pushed.

Mars frowned as she thought about it. "It was as soon as we were through the doors. I lost them as soon as the doors were broken down."

Sailor Moon edged towards Mercury. "What is it? Do you have an idea?"

Mercury hesitated. "I think so," she said slowly. "But I need to test it. Everyone close your eyes. Open them as soon as I say to."

The others closed their eyes. Mercury took a deep breath before intentionally blinking. The Angels were halfway down the hallway.

"Open your eyes!" she ordered.

The others opened their eyes. Sailor Moon looked nervous. "I really hope you have a plan, Ami."

"Maybe," Mercury said. "Rei, did you sense them?"

"Only for an instant," Mars answered.

"What is it, Mercury?" Venus asked. "Did you figure it out?"

"I think so," Mercury said. "I was sort of right about the lights. They can only move when we can't see them. When we can, I think they really are statues."

Jupiter grunted as she shifted Charlotte's weight. "That seems kind of useless," she muttered.

Mars shook her head. "It's the perfect defense. You can't hurt them."

The others looked grim. "What's the plan?" Sailor Moon asked.

Mercury spoke carefully. "We can't attack them as they are. Our only option is to close our eyes and attack. Being in the hallway, they don't have anywhere to go. If we hit them with our Planet Attack, it should clear them out."

Tuxedo Mask wordlessly took Charlotte from Jupiter. She joined the others, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Remember, eyes closed," Mercury said.

The others nodded and raised their hands, pointing their palms at the Angels.

"Mars Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Venus Power!"

"Moon Crystal Power!"

They closed their eyes and spoke in unison. "Sailor Planet Attack!"

A roaring column of multi-colored lights erupted from the palms of the Senshi. It tore down the hallway, shattering picture frames and lights. The building trembled from the force of the attack.

The attack faded and the Senshi lowered their hands and opened their eyes.

The Angels stood, unharmed, in the hallway. The ones closest to the Senshi had turned around and covered their faces. Those behind them remained facing forward, but also had their faces covered.

The Senshi stood in stunned silence. "It should have worked," Sailor Moon said hoarsely.

Enraged, Jupiter blasted attack after attack at the Angels. "Why won't you stay down?" she growled.

Venus pulled Jupiter back. "Save your strength," she said. "We'll beat them. We're the good guys. We always win."

Jupiter clenched her fists. "How?" she demanded. "We can't do anything!"

"Think," Venus ordered. "What do we know about them?"

"Not much," Mercury said thoughtfully. "They can't move when we see them."

"Our attacks are useless," Jupiter grumbled.

"Could we dump them in water?" Venus asked.

Mars rolled her eyes. "If you want to carry them to the bay, you're on your own."

"It was just a suggestion," Venus muttered.

Something nagged at Mercury's mind. She shook her head. "I'm missing something," she admitted. She continued staring at the statues, trying to figure out what it was.

It came to her, though she didn't fully understand the implications. "They're covering their eyes," she said slowly.

Mars shrugged. "So? They were probably covering their eyes to keep from being blinded by our attack."

Venus frowned. "Maybe," she said. "But weren't they covering their faces at the museum?"

Jupiter glanced at her then quickly flicked her gaze back towards the Angels. "What's your point?

"I don't know. Ami mentioned it, I was just helping," Venus replied.

Mercury nodded slowly. "You're right," she said. "They were covering their faces in the museum. But why?"

"I don't know why you're asking us," Sailor Moon said. "You're the brains of our group."

"Speak for yourself, meatball brain," Mars retorted.

Sailor Moon scowled, but didn't take her eyes of the Angels. "I don't see you offering any suggestions, Rei."

Tuxedo Mask stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe they can't look at each other," he suggested.

Jupiter shook her head. "When they were coming at us earlier, they could see the others," she pointed out.

"What if they can't look directly at each other?" Venus asked.

Mercury's brow wrinkled as she thought. "Maybe," she said. "It would explain why their faces were all covered in the museum and why they're covered now. But it could be like Rei said; they're protecting themselves from our attack."

"Could it be a way to disguise their faces?" Jupiter asked. "People wouldn't feel as comfortable with the faces they have."

Venus shook her head. "The faces have changed," she said. "At the museum, some of them looked peaceful. It was only when they started attacking they went all," she used her pointer fingers to represent fangs and made a scary face. "Fang-y."

The lights flickered.

Mercury's glance flicked up then back to the Angels. "Rei, Lita, use your powers to keep the hallway lit."

Mars and Jupiter nodded. A roaring ball of flames appeared in Mars' hand while electricity danced across Jupiter's fingers.

The lights went out but the fire and the electricity provided enough light to see the Angels.

Venus sighed in relief. "Good call," she said. "What do we do now?"

Mercury opened her computer and typed in a few commands. A map of the building appeared on the screen. She studied it for a few seconds.

"If we're correct, and I'm not sure we are, I might have an idea," Mercury said softly. "But none of you are going to like it."


	10. Chapter 10

Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Jupiter walked backwards down the hallway. Behind them, Sailor Moon looked forward and led them.

"I really hope this works," Sailor Moon muttered.

Jupiter grunted. "We don't seem to have any other choice," she replied. "And I need to blink."

Tuxedo Mask nodded and hefted Charlotte. "We'll cover for you."

Jupiter closed her burning eyes and rubbed them. "I really hate these guys," she muttered venomously.

Sailor Moon glanced back. "How many are following us?"

"Four, maybe five," Tuxedo Mask answered. "About a hundred yards back."

The lights went out.

Jupiter opened her eyes and loosed tiny bolts of electricity from her hands. They gave the hallway an eerie green glow, but provided enough light to see. Sailor Moon whimpered.

The Angels were two feet away.

Mars held a tiny flame in her hand. Despite its size it illuminated a large area around her. "It didn't take them long to go for the lights," she said. "Why didn't they shut them off sooner?"

"I don't know," Mercury admitted. "Maybe they can only do it occasionally?"

"At least you thought it might happen," Venus replied. "I just hope the others are okay."

"They should be," Mercury answered confidently. "Lita can provide some light for them."

"Ami, what are we going to do if this doesn't work?" Venus asked.

Mercury shook her head. "I don't know," she said grimly. "If this doesn't work, I don't think we can win this one."

"You can't think like that!" Mars snapped. "If anyone can find a way to beat them, you can. But you need to trust yourself!"

"Thanks, Rei," Mercury said quietly. She glanced away from the Angels. "I'll lead for now. If one of you two need to blink, tell me and we'll switch again."

Venus and Mars nodded as Mercury reached back, placing her left hand on Mars' left shoulder and right on Venus' right shoulder. She carefully led them down the hallway, helping them to avoid obstacles in the way.

* * *

**Game Center Crown:**

**Secret Base**

_WHAM!_

Dust trickled from cracks in the entryway. Motoki looked up from the bundle of wires in his hand.

"Focus," Luna ordered curtly. "We need to restore power and get the defenses back up."

Motoki dry swallowed and nodded. He turned his attention back to the wires. "Which one goes into the generator?" he asked. "And a better question, why was it unplugged?"

Luna looked up from the schematics. "The large red one," she replied. "We unplugged it because it needed maintenance. Artemis was supposed to do it, but didn't. If his negligence gets us killed, I'll never forgive him."

Motoki pulled the red wire away from the others and ran the fingers of his free hand over the side of the generator. When he found the outlet, he fumbled with the wire and tried to force it in.

_WHAM!_

New cracks appeared in the ceiling. "Do try to hurry," Luna said as calmly as possible.

"I'm trying," Motoki muttered. He turned the wire and kept pushing the end into the outlet. It went in.

The computers hummed and the lights came on. A shrill alarm sounded from the console. "Yes, I know we're under attack," Luna growled. She pressed a few buttons and the alarm stopped. An image of the base appeared on one of the screens. A blue-green box surrounded it.

Luna sighed in relief. "There's no way they can get in here now," she said confidently.

Motoki frowned at the cracked ceiling. "But we can't get out."

"It's better than getting killed," Luna sniffed. "I'm sure the Senshi will find a way to deal with these things."

Motoki looked at her. "What are we supposed to do until then?"

Luna began inputting commands into the computer. "Try to find out what's happening." She frowned. "Communicators are down," she said. She typed in a few more commands. "And I've lost access to all sensors and scanners. I only have backup data from before the surge."

She pulled it up and glanced over it. "It looks like the entire city was hit by the same power surge."

Motoki looked horrified. "You mean those things could be all over the city?"

Luna nodded. "Anywhere with a screen," she answered. She glanced to Motoki. "More likely they only targeted us. The rest of the city should be safe. For now."

The alarms blared again. Luna turned back to the monitors. "Impossible!" she gasped. "They're draining the shields!"

The monitors went dark. Motoki and Luna shared a fearful glance.

_WHAM!_

A large dent appeared in the entrance. "Luna?" Motoki asked hoarsely. "Are you sure there's no other way out?"

Luna hesitated. "Not for you," she admitted. "It's a small opening only Artemis and I can get through."

Motoki glanced at her. "Get yourself out of here," he said. His voice trembled, but he tried keeping a brave face. "The girls need you more than I do. I'll be alright."

"They have Artemis," Luna replied. "And stop being ridiculous. We'll find a way out of this. I just need to think."

_WHAM!_

* * *

**The Tsukino's House**

Ikuko pushed Shingo into the bedroom. Behind them, the image of the Angel was halfway up the stairs.

Ikuko Shut the door. "Help me," she ordered as she began dragging a dresser towards the door.

Shingo grabbed the other half and, together, they managed to get it in place. Once done, Ikuko grabbed Shingo and shoved him under the bed. She forced herself to speak calmly and quickly. "No matter what happens, stay there. If you have a chance to, get out of here and get help."

"I won't leave you, mom," Shingo insisted, resisting her attempts to hide him.

"I won't let you get hurt," Ikuko replied firmly. "Get under the bed. _Now._ "

Something scrabbled against the door. The handle turned and the door started to open. It stopped when it hit the dresser.

While Shingo was distracted, Ikuko shoved him under the bed. "Stay there," she hissed quietly.

_CRACK!_

The door exploded into splinters and the dresser soared across the room. Ikuko screamed and covered her face. The dresser flew over her head and through the window. Fragments of glass exploded outward and rained down on the garden. The dresser flew out into the street where it shattered on the asphalt. Clothes and jewelry scattered everywhere.

The semi-transparent Angel stood in the doorway, fangs bared and its nails extended into claws. Ikuko picked up a shoe and hurled it while backing towards the window.

The shoe passed through the Angel and bounced off the wall. Ikuko continued backing towards the window, her hand reaching behind her, looking for something to use as a weapon. She blinked.

The Angel's hand was inches from her face. A scream escaped her throat and she reached behind her, hoping for a weapon.

Her fingers brushed against a shard of glass and she winced as it bit into her flesh. She gripped it, ignoring the pain, and slashed at the Angel.

The glass passed harmlessly through it. She dropped the glass and turned to run.

The Angel's hand clamped on her throat. "Shingo, run," she croaked.

Shingo soared out from under the bed and threw himself at the Angel. He passed through it and crashed into the floor.

He groaned and struggled to sit up. Behind him, the Angel threw Ikuko out the open window.

Shingo turned in time to see it. "Mom!" he screamed.

He started to move towards the window. He blinked and the Angel was in front of him, reaching towards him.

He slowly backed away. "Sailor Moon will save me," he said nervously.


End file.
